


Ambassador Sokka and the Mysterious Disappearance of His Hair Ties

by gaydaractivate04



Series: The Adventures of Ambassador Sokka [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Breakfast, Captain Izumi is in da house, Dumbass Sokka, Fire Lord Zuko, Gay Zuko (Avatar), It's hard, Katara is protective, Kinda, Love me some breakfast, Soft Zuko (Avatar), Sokka has his hair down, Sokka is flirting, Stubborn Katara (Avatar), You're Welcome, Zuko Deserves Nice Things, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, but it comes out mean, he's trying to get them, so is zuko, yay!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:34:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25114711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaydaractivate04/pseuds/gaydaractivate04
Summary: After being in capital of the Fire Nation for a week, the Gaang and Fire Lord Zuko are finally starting to work through the various treaties and the changes to them that need to be made.Sadly, they did not take into account Sokka and how often he puts his foot in his mouth when speaking to someone he's attracted to.The guards have placed bets.The servants have noticed.And Toph stole all of Sokka's hair ties, for reasons unknown.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Sokka
Series: The Adventures of Ambassador Sokka [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1793116
Comments: 229
Kudos: 1442





	1. Breakfast of Champions (Or Fire Lords)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all, this one is gonna be more then one chapter, mostly on account of my own impatience to publish it. Also on account of the various "I was disappointed to see it was only one chapter" so, ya know, here you go.
> 
> I hope you like the new chapter!!
> 
> Also: It seems I have given some of you the wrong impression. Those first three works (especially the first two) were written much faster than usual. I often update my other wip every two weeks (sometimes a little more often)
> 
> So, be warned. This will be updated either by the end of this week or next week: I have not abandoned it if I don't write for two weeks :D
> 
> (and thank you all for such amazing comments!!)

The servant that knocks on the door of their rooms was not smiling. He wasn’t the same stiff man that had greeted them when they’d arrived and he wasn’t the man that came by in the mornings with breakfast for the four of them.

He didn’t smile as he handed Sokka the scroll in his hand and he didn’t smile when he announced that the Avatar and his companions were invited to a morning meal with the Fire Lord.

Well, it seemed that Sokka would have to smile enough for the both of them.

Katara and Aang were already standing in the living room of their quarters, both blurry eyed and mumbling, the light of dawn leaking through the windows.

One might wonder why Sokka was awake at such an  _ awful _ time, after all, he didn’t rise with the sun. One should remember that when one falls on top of the hottest person they’ve ever met, they are liable to be wide awake and very not tired.

As was Sokka, hair still damp from the turtleduck pond, the tie to hold it back nowhere to be found. 

He suspected foul play from Toph, but as she was still sleeping and he wanted to live long enough to actually  _ have _ breakfast, he wasn’t about to question her.

Sokka didn’t bother hiding his grin as he spun around, thrusting the scroll into Aang’s chest, who fumbled for a second before catching and opening it.

“We are cordially invited to breakfast with the Fire Lord...in three hours?” The little airbender’s voice sounded just as foggy as he looked, brows drawn in confusion. “Why in so long?”

Katara yawned from behind him, one hand rubbing her eyes while the other covered her mouth. “The sun just rose, Aang. He’s a firebender, they all wake up at dawn.” She leaned to read the scroll over Aang’s shoulder. “What I want to know is why he’s inviting us in the first place.”

“Maybe he wants to be friends with us, to make it easier with the treaties,” Aang suggested, smiling at Katara as he turned to face her, a hand taking hers absentmindedly.

Sokka gagged.

“Alright, alright, break it up!” He snatched the scroll from Aang’s grip, ignoring his sounds of protest and his sister’s glare as he knocked their hands apart. 

Look, if you’re gonna be all lovey dovey and mushy and shit, at least don’t do it in front of your brother. Your  _ older _ brother.

“The point is, we get breakfast in three hours, breakfast fit for a  _ Fire Lord, _ in case you forgot and I plan on being there.” He herded them towards their rooms -  _ separate rooms, don’t think I didn’t see you come out of her’s, Aang  _ \- opening the doors for them and all but pushing them through. “Get some sleep or something! It’s good for you, good for the brain.”

He shut the doors in their faces, whirling quickly around and speeding over to the couch, the scroll still in his hand. A quick turn and the buckling of his knees and he was sprawled across the cushions, one leg flung over an armrest while the other trailed on the floor.

The invitation was a little crumpled from being exchanged between so many hands and it crinkled as he opened it, smoothing it out against his leg. 

Thankfully, the signature at the bottom was still clear and not smeared, the ink likely fresh from the pot, not allowed the proper amount of drying time before it was delivered.

He couldn’t help but smile at the name at the bottom, the calligraphy much less refined from the rest of the letter, less of the court grace in each word. 

Sokka knew that was Zuko’s -  _ first name basis with the Fire Lord _ \- actual handwriting, and if there had been people in the room he wouldn’t have squealed and held the paper to his chest like he did.

As it was, the living room was empty except for him, so he had no qualms against squealing and clutching the invitation, grinning so wide his cheeks hurt.

_______________

The shirt he wore was yet another sleeveless one, the color of the sky, matching his eyes, the neckline just a little lower than he’d usually go for. Dark blue pants and some tribal looking bands he’d picked up in a little market in the Earth Kingdom were paired with it, the thinnest fabric he had brought with him.

_ Seriously, who could survive in this heat? I mean, hOLY FUCK, it’s so hot  _ -

He’d brushed his hair -  _ yes, he did know how to do that  _ Katara _ , thank you very much _ \- though he still hadn’t found a tie to pull it back with.

Yeah, he’d dressed nicer than usual. So sue him, he wanted to look good for the best looking guy he’d met.

Toph had smirked when she’d finally meandered out of her bedroom, still barefoot as she’d been the whole week - she didn’t seem inclined to try the soleless shoes that were becoming very popular among Earthbenders.

And her smirk - it wasn’t like she smirked at the group as a whole, like she often did,  _ noooo, _ she’d smirked directly at Sokka when Katara had told her about the breakfast invitation.

Traitor.

He still suspected she’d been the one to hide all his hair ties.

The servant from before, the one who’d led them to their quarters, had returned, a knock on the doors announcing his arrival before the guards outside opened them.

Yes, there were guards outside. No, Katara did not trust them.

And sure, Sokka wasn’t all for it either, but Zuko would have had to have been stupid to not post a couple of guards outside their rooms. It’s not like they would stop them trying to leave, but they could notify someone higher up on the food chain when they left.

You can’t exactly have guests free to wander the corridors with no one aware of their wandering, if that made any sense at all. Katara had said it didn’t but Aang had looked satisfied with his reasoning.

They must have made an interesting group, striding through the halls. The Avatar, chatting the servant’s ear off as they walked, a waterbender with a canteen at her hip close behind him. A sightless earthbender, barefoot and stomping, little cracks forming with each step. 

Even as the cracks closed behind Toph, Sokka could see the little winces they elicited from each person they passed.

Then, at the back of the group, the only nonbender, smiling wide and sincerely in the heart of Fire Nation. Sokka decided to ignore how the little glances from passing servants and court members passed over him as they walked, instead hanging onto the Masters in front of him.

Awesome.

Just the normal,  _ boring _ guy in the group, not even with his  _ boomerang _ \- 

The doors they stopped in front of were even grander than those of the meeting room. Reaching to nearly the ceiling, painted a deep red, little details of flames on the edges, they were probably the most intimidating pair of doors Sokka had ever seen.

And that’s saying something.

The doors are opened from the inside, a stern, older woman in a guard’s uniform looking them over before dropping into a short bow and back away, pulling the doors open farther with her.

Behind the woman, Sokka could see a low table, cushions placed around as seats, plates and plates and  _ plates _ of food covering it, the smell hitting him like a brick to the face and -

It seemed that he was not the only one who put a little effort into his appearance that day.

_ Out of all the delicious food set on that table, one looked more tasty than the rest. _

Sokka forced that useless and drooling thought into the back of his mind, smothering it with thoughts of rolls and dumplings, fighting the blush that he could feel growing on his cheeks.

Fire Lord Zuko stood as they entered, walking forward to greet them, a polite smile on his face. “Good morning Ambassadors, I’m so glad you accepted my invitation.”

Katara is the first to shake his hand, her smile a little sharper, a little more teeth than necessary. “We hadn’t realized we could decline it.”

_ Fuck, seriously? _

Sokka came up quickly next to her, noticing how Zuko’s smile had faltered at her words, elbowing her in the side a little harder than necessary. “You’ll have to excuse my sister, she’s a bit grumpy when she hasn’t eaten yet.”

Look, he  _ understood _ her distrust, he  _ knew _ that it was hard to be polite and courteous after so long of a war against the Fire Nation, he _ knew _ that Katara was just trying to be cautious, but that didn’t excuse her purposely antagonizing the Fire Lord.

And he’d been damned if he let her ruin this breakfast before it had even started with her hostility.

“Well, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.” The apology was directed at Katara, who nodded at Zuko -  _ a little deeper than normal, still gotta be respectful _ \- before moving past him, Aang following behind her after casting a smile at the Fire Lord.

Toph came next, the doors shutting behind her as she stepped fully into the room, her head tilted to the side as she neared them.

“Got a real impressive spread here, Sparky. It looks amazing.” She smirked when Zuko stumbled on his thanks, thrown off by her joke, his eyes flickering from her gaze to the floor, where her feet dug into the stone beneath them.

“Thank you, Master Beifong. Glad - glad you like it?” His words ended as a question, one Toph ignored as she swept past them, though not before leaning into Sokka’s side, whispering in his ear.

“Go get ‘em, tiger.”

Traitors, all of them.

Finally, with all his friends seated at the table, he got a moment to just look at the man before him, who’s smile had changed to something more genuine.

“Wow.” The Fire Lord was flushing, his head ducking down immediately after he spoke. “I’m sorry, that was inappropriate. It’s just your, um, your hair. It looks really good.”

“Yeah?” Sokka’s response is just as breathless, just as quiet, as Zuko’s was. He reaches up, sliding his hand through his hair. Maybe he’d leave it down more often.

You know, just in case, so he won’t spend any money on hair ties.

“Yeah.” Zuko smiles wider then, so at odds with his formal robes and the glinting crown in his hair.

A cleared throat behind Sokka jolts them both to reality, cutting off his spiraling thoughts, the guard who’d let them into the room watching him with narrowed eyes. He didn’t doubt for a second, not one, that if he was perceived a threat to the Fire Lord by the woman, he’d be on the ground faster than he could blink.

“Captain Izumi!” Somehow, Zuko was blushing even darker than before, his face fighting its way back to the formal smile he’d been wearing before. A pity; his real smile was warmer than a thousand suns.

Great, now Sokka was spouting poetry to himself about  _ smiles. _ Toph would laugh so hard she’d cry if she could hear his thoughts.

With that thought in mind, he tried to school his features into something both polite and not too fake -  _ he hated fake smiles _ \- before he joined his friends at the table, Zuko speaking quietly with the Captain near the door.

He dutifully ignored the little grin Toph gave him as he sat, just as he ignored Katara’s questioning glare and Aang’s confused looks cast at him.


	2. A Breakfast Gone Astray

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y’all, I’m sorry for the late update!!
> 
> I’ve been having complications with the computer I use (it’s not mine, it’s kinda old) so I’ve been painstakingly typing this out in my phone (which sucks btw)
> 
> But!! I finally finished this and I will be back up and running with a computer by next week!!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!!

It only took Zuko a minute to convince Captain Izumi that he’d be fine without her in the room with him. Sadly, it would have taken much longer for him to convince the Captain of his Guard that he only needed one member of the Guard to be present during this breakfast and he did not have that kind of time.

He ended up with a compromise. Captain Izumi would leave and return to her daily duties, only if he allowed three guards to remain in the room. Two of which were members of his Royal Guard, while the third had been on-duty and nearby.

Guards Chen and Shao were usually with Zuko throughout the day, as Izumi trusted them to make sure the Fire Lord ate his meals on time and went to bed at a reasonable hour, but they had been given the day off after the visit to the turtle-duck pond early in the morning.

Personally, Zuko didn’t find anything wrong with his sleep patterns - _if you ignored the nightmares and insomnia_ \- and didn’t think he needed his _eating_ to be monitored. He wasn’t some incompetent child, he could feed himself.

There were just...things. 

Things that ended up being more important than eating at noon, things that got in the way of his lanterns being dimmed as the sun set, drafts upon drafts of treaties and statements, as Zuko sought to find a middle ground between his generals’ demands and his own vision, between the Fire Nation’s past and the future he wanted to give it.

He’d tried to explain that to Captain Izumi one night - _morning, really_ \- in a rush of slurred words and half finished sentences, when she’d taken the lantern on his desk and the brush from his hand, moving the inkwell out of reach.

In return, he’d gotten a stern, rather motherly, lecture on taking care of himself - _for the good of the nation, for the good of your people_ \- escorted to bed, and Chen had been assigned the next morning.

Zuko knew when he was beat, just as he knew that he couldn’t convince Captain Izumi otherwise about his sleeping habits, he knew he couldn’t convince her to leave a solitary guard with him.

Especially not if the Avatar and his Masters were in the same room.

It was only after the guards had stationed themselves around the room, two flanking the doorway while a third stood at the far end, did Captain Izumi finally leave, casting one last look at the people waiting for Zuko before exiting, the guards shutting the doors behind her.

Zuko turned towards the table and its occupants quickly, offering a faint smile to the group as he joined them, sitting down smoothly on top of a red cushion.

He’d been encouraged - _read: made_ \- to practice that move, the graceful seating that should be seen in a leader. Thankfully, he had succeeded in his attempt and did not tip to the side as he’d done at first, his hands folded in front of him, unable to rebalance himself.

“Good morning.” That sounded like a good start. _Wait, fuck, he’d already said that._ “I hope you found your rooms to be accommodating.” _That sounded official enough, right?_

“Yeah, they were great!” said the Avatar - _Aang, remember to call him Aang_ \- a wide smile on his face. “The beds were so big, you could fit two people on it and still have some space!”

An interesting choice of complement.

“Two people, Aang?” asked Sokka, a look Zuko couldn’t quite place on his face.

“Well...um…” Avatar Aang didn’t seem to know how to answer the question, one hand rubbing the back of his neck, while the other fiddled with the hem of his shirt.

The guy was an even worse liar than he was, and that was saying something.

As it was, Zuko had a feeling where the conversation was going, especially from the way the scary waterbender was glaring daggers at her brother. He really didn’t want it to go there.

Zuko cleared his throat, probably unnecessarily loudly, with how every eye at the table swung towards him. Well, except for the earthbender Master - _Toph, he knew her name for sure, she was a badass_ \- who just tilted her head where she sat, knees bent and feet planted. 

He hadn’t quite figured out how she “saw” things, though he knew it had something to do with her earthbending. And maybe some badger-moles. 

Someone he’d asked had mentioned badger-moles, but he wasn’t really a reliable source, being the leader of a group of peace seeking travelers, who all looked as if they’d had too much cactus juice.

Back to the present issue. A group of renowned warriors and leaders were waiting for him to say something, when he’d cleared his throat to get them to _stop talking about that_ and _really_ didn’t have a plan for what would come next.

“Why don’t we start eating before it goes cold,” he suggested, never mind the fact that there were three firebenders in the room, should the food actually cool down too much and need to be reheated.

Avatar Aang grasped at the idea like it was a lifeline and he was drowning at sea. “Yeah! That sounds great, I’m starving.” He reached towards the plate closest to him, a platter of rolls Zuko knew was stuffed with pork and not the vegetables the air bender would want.

“Not those ones.” His voice came out harder than he’d intended, the inflection of a harsh leader, not the soft tone he’d meant it to be.

And he’d thought Master Katara couldn’t glare at him any harder.

“Why not those ones?” she asked, the edge of her questioning words sharp enough to cut someone if they stood too close. 

He’d had enough.

“He’s vegetarian, right?” Zuko asked, tone flat and irritated. She’d already insulted his invitation to breakfast, had barely bothered to hide her sneers and snarls when he’d first met with the group before him. 

He wasn’t just going to stand there and take it, no matter how patient a _real leader_ should be, no matter how humble someone atoning for their country’s wrongs should be -

No matter how much respect he should show an heir to the Southern Water Tribe, how much respect an Avatar’s teacher should receive - if he didn’t get the same in return, she did not get his apologies and explanations, not for something as simple as _breakfast rolls._

_(This had been drilled into his head by various people - Uncle, Master Piandao, Captain Izumi, Lieutenant Jee)_

“Do you want him to eat picken meat or not? That’s what is in _those ones,_ in case you were wondering.” he said, angrier than he’d been in a while. Even after three years of ruling, Zuko still had moments where the tight leash on his temper slipped.

The silence that answered him spoke for itself, as he looked around the table and met each person’s eyes.

Sokka sent him a nod and soft smile when he looked to the warrior, understanding in his eyes. 

_Understanding for what? Zuko had just been rude to his sister in front of their friends and Sokka was_ smiling _at him._

Katara met his eyes with steely defiance and anger shining in her eyes. He didn’t miss the way her hand hovered over the canteen at her side, nor did he miss the way the lid was half off already.

Zuko glared right back. He’d been raised in a household with _Azula,_ for Agni’s sake, then had been put on a ship full of defiant, unruly crew members - _though they proved to be some of the best people he’d ever had the privilege to meet_ \- and had been the one to give them orders they didn’t always want to follow.

She wouldn’t be able to cow him into dropping his eyes first.

Finally, slowly, with the Avatar wincing at her side, the waterbender Master lowered her gaze, the anger fading from it. “I apologize, Fire Lord Zuko. That was very rude of me. Thank you for informing us about the rolls.”

A voice in the back of his head that sounded suspiciously like Uncle hummed and suggested that he accept her apology, as she had let go of her pride and had seen that she was in the wrong.

Zuko had started listening to that voice more and more, as he ruled, and this was a situation where Uncle’s advice helped more than anything.

“I accept your apology.” He paused, unsure of how to continue. 

Zuko didn’t want them to think he’d hold onto this incident, but he also didn’t want them to think that her words had been forgotten as soon as she’d apologized. 

There was no way of clearing it up at the moment, though - _all the court niceties had fallen out of his head, leaving a blank mind behind_ \- so instead of addressing either issue, he passed over them, a hand gesturing at the food on the table. “Let’s just eat.”

The meal had almost passed without another issue, small talk and polite questions traded across the table, plates piled high with ripe fruit and breakfast pastries, a servant entering once and exiting quickly, leaving a steaming cup of jasmine tea at each seat.

Chef Saio may act as if she doesn’t like him - _it was her way of showing affection, she wouldn’t acknowledge you if she didn’t like you_ \- but somehow, every time a meeting goes badly, be it war council or otherwise, a cup of jasmine tea finds its way to him.

Jasmine tea or not, breakfast had almost been finished before everything went sideways. It started with the arrival of a messenger, knocking on the door, the guard outside opening it at Zuko’s call.

“A message for the Avatar, Your Majesty,” said the man, bowing deeply, a scroll held between his hands. 

Zuko waved for him to come further into the room, Aang half rising from his seat as the man neared, a furrow between his brows. They obviously hadn’t been expecting a letter, if the worried looks were anything to go by.

“Thank you.” Aang opened the scroll carefully, unfurling it and reading quickly as the messenger backed from the room with another bow, the door closing again behind him.

It only took moments for the worry to disappear and a frown to take its place, Aang looking up at the people around the room as he rolled the letter closed and placed it on the table.

“The other nations are sending more ambassadors; they’re set to arrive in two weeks from today.”

The table erupted in questions and cries of confusion, Katara’s eyes flashing once again as she demands some sort of answer, as she asks _do they think we don’t know how to do our jobs?_

Sokka is the only one not grabbing for the scroll - _or Aang, as Toph did_ \- instead sitting back, the thoughtful look on his face only slightly marred by the same anger that showed on his sister’s.

“I remember Dad saying something about that. Something about sending reinforcements if necessary.” He does air quotes around the word “reinforcements”.

“And what? Did they all decide we’re doing a shitty job and need to send a bunch of old windbags to replace us?” Toph’s voice is loud and sharp, punctuated with the cracks and creaks of the ground shifting beneath her.

There’s another flood of raised voices following her question, tentative defense from Aang, Katara joining Toph in the angry charge for answers.

Surprisingly enough, it’s Sokka who tries to diffuse the tension rising in the room, despite his own frustration being so plain on his face. “Hey, hey, hey. That’s probably not it.”

The ambassador cast a smile at Zuko, who couldn’t help but smile back.

“They sent us ahead to clear the air,” Sokka says, accompanying his words with the spreading of his arms, as if he’s parting a curtain in front of him. “That’s why they sent the Avatar and some of the most powerful benders ahead! To make sure that if the Fire Lord _actually_ held a grudge against us winning the war, he wouldn’t be able to massacre a bunch of defenseless higher-ups.”

The smile that had been growing on Zuko’s face at Sokka’s antics froze.

Then crumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I’m so sorry for the ending of this. 
> 
> The person who betas my works, a fellow Ao3 writer, legit turned to me and went: “THATS the end of the chapter?! Fucking Sokka, he just fucked it all up!! Now Zuko’s gonna be all insecure and shit...”
> 
> Sokka: And that’s how I know you’re not a homocidal murderer!! :DDDDDD
> 
> Zuko: So you was a fake bitch all along?
> 
> And: Y’all, a picken is a real animal in the Fire Nation. I swear. I looked it up. It’s a pig cross with a chicken, in case you didn’t guess already.
> 
> Hope you liked the update!! Lemme know what you thought!!! Stay safe and stay healthy!!!


	3. A Breakfast Concluded

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y’all, I’m so sorry for the month long pause. I’m horrible, I know. 
> 
> School started a few weeks ago and I have been stressed ever since, though I did manage to write this between my classes. 
> 
> I hope you like this as much as you all like the other chapters :D
> 
> Enjoy!!

He had his mask back up in seconds, though, the face of the Fire Lord in place of Zuko’s. His brows lowered and lips tightened into a straight, hard line, pushing away all the emotions that clamored for his attention.

_Is that all that was?_ He wanted to ask. Had Sokka just been sussing him out, trying to see how hard they could push before he’d snap?

Had any of it been real?

Well, the answer to that question was a clear one, one Zuko had been blindly avoiding since Sokka had first winked at him in the meeting room. Of course it hadn’t. Sokka was an ambassador from the _Southern Water Tribe._ A tribe that had been virtually wiped out, by war and raids.

Both his father and grandfather had been responsible for the capture of their waterbenders, not even letting them die with dignity, instead holding them captive as they withered away. Not a single one had survived; though there had been whispers of a woman who’d escaped, they seemed unfounded.

Zuko knew, he’d checked.

And besides, even if Sokka didn’t hate the Fire Nation and its people on sight, what would ever tempt him to be around Zuko? _Why_ would he flirt and joke and laugh with the Agni - damned Fire Lord, if not to be sure that this one was sane?

To be sure that _this one_ wouldn’t be the same as his sister, his father, and his father’s father. To have absolute certainty that the new Fire Lord wouldn’t burn his own people, and call it justice.

As if they were unsure whether the man who’d saved his people - _saved the other nations as well_ \- wouldn’t suddenly flip a switch and decide he was done being the forgiving, benevolent leader.

He can’t blame them for being cautious, not really, but that didn’t stop his inner fire from roaring with rage, lanterns around the room flaring as the control slipped. That didn’t stop his heart from breaking.

“I see,” Zuko said, carefully, ever so carefully, keeping his voice hard and level. “And how likely did you think that was?” He couldn’t keep the anger - _the hurt_ \- that had been building inside him from his words. The words come out sharp and cold, so unlike the usual fierce heat that accompanies them.

The room around him has gone silent, the guards at the walls as still as statues, the warriors before him nearly as motionless. Sokka looks thrown, as if this wasn’t even close to the reaction he was expecting, as if he thought Zuko would _laugh_ at the implications they’d lain at his feet.

“I - um, well, we were just -” Sokka’s stuttering start gets cut off by his sister, who matches Zuko’s gaze with her own, though she doesn’t seem angry like he is. Instead, where Zuko shakes with anger, his fists balled under his robes, she is steady with certainty.

“It was a possibility. We were prepared to do what had to be done, if it had come to that.” Katara’s tone is almost that of a professor, one of the countless tutors Zuko had had during his childhood, stating a fact instead of an atrocity.

They had been prepared to kill him, to leave his nation leaderless and defenseless, for the off chance that he’d be unstable, even after three years of peace and reparations. 

“I see,” he said again, this time in a conclusory manner, for this had been the answer he’d been looking for. Zuko stood, letting his hands fall from beneath his robes, now carefully slack and steady. “Please enjoy the remainder of your breakfast. If you need anything, or have a message to send in return, please alert Shu and he will help you do so.” He gestured at the guard who’d been pulled from his shift to join the two Royal Guard members in the room.

He swept towards the door, steps quick and precise, the fast pace of a leader with better places to be. It was a stride he hadn’t perfected until this very moment, usually too lost in his thoughts or reports to even consider how he was presenting himself.

Now, though. Every motion was that of a Fire Lord, face expressionless as he strode towards the doors of the room, the table and its occupants a silent presence at his back.

A rustle of clothing and a few hurried steps sounded behind him, one of the Royal Guards stationed at the door stepping out and effectively blocking the person from touching him - from grabbing the Fire Lord and pulling him back to the table as Sokka had likely meant to do.

The ambassador had a very distinct gait, the tiniest drag from his left leg, like an old injury that never healed correctly. Zuko couldn’t remember when he’d noticed that.

“Please, Zu - Fire Lord Zuko, please allow me to explain myself.” The other man’s voice was tinged with desperation, the volume too loud for such a small distance between them.

Zuko didn’t turn to look, he didn’t need to. He could picture exactly how Sokka looked, blue eyes wide but determined, as if enough talking could solve any problem, could convince him of anything, of everything.

“Ambassador Sokka.” He heard Sokka suck in a breath; he hadn’t used the title since their first exchange. “There is no need for an explanation, I understand perfectly. If there is any need to discuss specific concerns before our meeting tomorrow, I am sure that Shu could pass along a message.”

Without a backward glance, Zuko swept from the room, the two Royal Guards falling in behind him as the doors swung closed after him.

________________

The room still echoed with the boom of the doors as Sokka stood, frozen from the cold of Zuko’s voice. His friends sat silently at the table, more than one mouth hanging open. He could practically feel Katara’s gaze burning into the back of his head, and he avoided his sister’s eyes as he turned towards them.

He didn’t lift his eyes as he sat back on his cushion, didn’t respond to Aang’s quiet, concerned, “ _Are you okay?”_. The cup of jasmine tea was still steaming, having only arrived moments earlier, and he reached for it, seeking some sort of stability as ground wavered beneath him.

Sokka took a sip, then another. A third.

“Are you fucking the Fire Lord?” 

He choked on his third sip, setting the cup down quickly as he coughed into his arm, eyes watering. _Holy fuck, Toph. Was she serious?_ Finally looking up, Sokka found that she was, in fact, serious, and though Aang was blushing and Katara was scowling at her phrasing, they wanted an answer as well.

_“No.”_ His friends didn’t look convinced. “I’m not fu - _sleeping with_ the Fire Lord.” Toph raised an eyebrow. _“I’m not.”_

The guard, who stood behind Aang, back against the wall, looked very uncomfortable with this line of questioning.

Sokka could relate.

“Well if you’re not,” said Toph, stressing the second word. “Then what the hell was that?”

“Yeah,” agreed Katara, her arms crossed and eyes narrowed. “If you’re not, why did he react to you the way he did? What was the whole ‘I understand perfectly’ then?”

Well, fuck. This is not at all the conversation he imagined having, nor was the circumstances he imagined it to be in. His thoughts had more smiles and sunshine - _more Zuko_ \- and the Fire Lord in question sitting beside him.

“Look, we are _friends_ , that’s all.” He couldn’t bring himself to say _were._ “I couldn’t sleep last night, and I was kind of hungry, so I went looking for the kitchens to see if I could get a snack. I saw him there and...I made the mistake of grabbing his arm without saying anything.”

Sokka could see Katara gearing up to interrupt, and spoke over her, not giving her a chance to talk. He needed to get this all out; if any of his friends stopped him, he wasn’t sure he’d start again.

“His guards pushed away, one held a sword at my throat. I guess I deserved it, you don’t really go around grabbing forgeign leaders at three in the morning,” Sokka added wryly. He paused for a moment, gathering himself. “I apologized, I hadn’t recognized him, and Zuko said that it was okay and pulled me upright when I went to bow.”

He didn’t miss the way his friends started at his casual use of Zuko’s name, something that had slipped out before he could stop himself. 

“He asked me what I was doing walking around that late - or early, rather, and was surprised when I told him I was looking for the kitchens and hoped to sneak some food back to our rooms.” Sokka wasn’t sure why he was telling them the whole story, rather than giving them the basics of what had happened that morning, but something in Katara’s accusing gaze and Toph’s smirk made him want to defend Zuko as best he could to his friends. “He seemed more irritated that I was trying to steal from the cook, rather than steal from what were technically his kitchens.”

Sokka took another sip from his tea, ignoring the way it scalded his tongue on its way down. He waited for the inevitable questions that would come with a pause, and was surprised when they weren’t asked, the table silent around him.

For once, he had his friends’ complete attention.

“Zuko -” Again, those little starts at his casual use of the Fire Lord’s name. “Helped me get some food; he walked me to the kitchens and spoke with the cook. We made off with what was less of a snack and more of an early breakfast.” Sokka smiled at the memory, staring into the depths of his cup as he spoke. “We didn’t escape unharmed, though, and it wasn’t ‘til we were in the hallways beyond that we saw the flour in his hair, all over my shirt.”

Now he looked up, meeting Katara’s eyes directly, as he knew she’d be the one with the most objections to his - _hopefully_ \- relationship with the Fire Lord. “I haven’t laughed that hard in ages.” Sokka leaned back, planting an arm behind him, so he wouldn’t tip right off his cushion. “Then, for some reason, he invited me to go to the gardens with him and he showed me the turtleduck pond.”

“Oh! I remember those. Kuzon loved them and -” Aang’s building excitement is cut off sharply, courtesy of an elbow to the gut from Toph. The earthbender in question waited a second, “watching” their resident Avatar for signs of more interrupting, before nodding at Sokka to continue. 

“Zuko named the turtleducklings after food, mostly desserts. He was so proud of their names, especially Izumi the Second. He’d been the one to come up with them.” Sokka smiled to himself fondly, fiddling with the cup between his fingers. “I - um, I made fun of them and he pushed me.” Seeing his friends’ lowering brows, he hurried to explain. “Not very hard! We were laughing, anyways. And Izumi bit me, as well.”

Sokka gestured to his arm, a very faint red imprint still left from the small turtleducking’s beak. “Zuko went to help me, gently pulling the turtleduck off my arm, and I elbowed him and we both tripped and fell into the water -” He paused, aware of the increasing speed of his words, the run-on sentence he was blurting out. “I landed on top of him...and his guards arrived, who escorted me back to our rooms.”

He doesn’t feel particularly bad about leaving out exactly how he was _feeling_ in all those moments, doesn’t feel bad about skipping over when he hovered inches from the Fire Lord, his gold eyes bright as he looked up at Sokka.

Toph is the first to break the silence, her smirk returning in full force before she even speaks. “Well...it looks like you broke your boyfriend’s heart and you need to go fix it.” She continued, ignoring his spluttering as she talked. “Immediately.”

No. No, no, no. He didn’t want to have to face Zuko’s cold voice and angry eyes, didn’t want to have to look into the other man’s eyes and see the barriers coming up behind them, not again.

He’d already fucked up, he would only make it worse by talking to Zuko.

Aang nodded across the table, adopting that sage-like facial expression he always did before he imparted Avatar “wisdom” on whoever he was talking to. “You definitely need to go speak to him. You can’t just ignore something like that. It’s like a wound: if you don’t treat it, it will become infected, and never get better.”

“You’re full of crap,” snapped Sokka, looking to his last hope: Katara. “You can’t possibly think that’s a good idea, can you? Please, tell them what a terrible plan that is.”

His sister sighed, lowering her arms from where they’d been crossed at her chest, one hand drifting subconsciously to her canteen, something she’d been doing since they’d arrived in the Fire Nation. 

“Look, I don’t know what to think about all that you’ve just told us, but from what it sounds like, Zuko isn’t _that_ bad of a person.” Impossibly, Katara was taking Aang and Toph’s side, though he didn’t miss how sceptical she sounded as she surrendered her previously solid stance against the Fire Lord. “And you need to go after him.”

“Seriously, Katara?”

“We are ambassadors of peace, aren’t we?”

_Damn it._

Sokka pushed to his feet, turning to the guardsman - _Shu_ \- that still stood by the wall with a defeated sigh. “Can you tell me where Zuko is or do I have to find him myself?” He had no fucking clue where _anything_ was in the palace besides the pond and the kitchens. He didn’t even know the way back to his quarters, not without help.

He studiously ignored that traitorous thought in the back of his head that told him it was because Zuko had been in half those places that he remembered how to get there.

Guardsman Shu nodded, his stoic expression breaking for a moment as he smiled at the ambassador. “He should be at the turtleduck pond.”

Not even a direct command from Tui and La could’ve slowed Sokka down as he sped out of the room and down the winding hallways, servants and court members stepping aside as he blew by them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOKKA GOT HIS SHIT TOGETHER!! A ROUND OF APPLAUSE, EVERYONE!!
> 
> Hope you liked the chapter!! 
> 
> Please lemme know what you thought in the comments, whether that’s criticism (constructive) or what you liked! 
> 
> And as always: stay healthy and stay safe!!


	4. A Breakfast Abandoned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here it is, folks. The final chapter of part four of the series. 
> 
> I hope you like it!!! I certainly had fun writing it for you. :)

The turtleduck pond was a tranquil, serene resting spot, a place for nobles to sit beside - whether on a nearby bench or a cushion their servant brought - and relax. The surrounding gardens were kept to immaculate conditions, every bush and tree, every vine and bloom, all cared for by gardeners that had been practicing their trade since childhood. 

Zuko found the gardens to be a refuge as a child, from his father’s anger, from the sneers of court members and poorly concealed pity as he, yet again, failed to produce more than a few sparks during his lessons.

The perfume of flowers and faint gurgling of water exuded a feeling of peace, so strong that even when he was at his angriest, sitting in the gardens could calm him down.

As few tittering nobles ever remained in the garden for long once he arrived -  _ he had a feeling his guards were “encouraging” those there to leave _ \- it served as a place for peace and quiet even now, as an adult. 

For peace and quiet was certainly needed now, his mind whirling over the meeting he’d just left, over the last few days, going over every word exchanged and mannerism expressed, trying to find a sign, a  _ hint, _ that Sokka had been monitoring him.

Either the ambassador was a very good actor, or he was not acting at all.

Zuko knew which one was more likely, knew what made more sense with all the factors considered.

Knew there was very little chance that his feelings were mutual. 

And so, the youngest Fire Lord in all of history sat in his garden, guards lining the edges, and stared into the depths of a pond, his earlier anger dissipating, something more like grief taking its place.

_______________

_ This palace is a death trap. _

Seriously, what were the architects thinking? All the tight corners and high, arched ceilings, narrow windows and doorways, seemingly random fountains protruding from walls as Sokka sprinted by, having wheedled directions to the gardens from a harried looking serving girl. 

_ Probably thinking that it makes for a good base, if any force was to try and attack firebenders in their home court, _ he thought bitterly, swerving around a lord and lady, ignoring their outraged gasps as he brushed against the lady’s arm.

“Sorry!” he called over his shoulder, not bothering to slow or look back. He had more important things to do -  _ more important things to fix. _

The directions Sokka had been given proved to be accurate -  _ he knew where the pond was, not how to get there _ \- and turned the final corner, a vast doorway before him, the carvings in the stone catching his eye as he prepared to speed up, Zuko’s name already forming on his lips -

Only to be pulled up short when the shining length of a sword appeared against his chest, its point a few scant inches from the front of his tunic. 

A stony faced guard stood before Sokka, another armoured figure behind him, the second guard’s hands open and raised, her palms facing Sokka’s decidedly not fireproof self.

“Zuko,” he blurted out, too frantic to build a sentence, chest heaving and limbs trembling as he fought to stay still, fought against the instinct to knock the guards on their asses and whirl by, run to Zuko and beg for forgiveness. “I have- I have to talk to him. Please.”

His pleads had no effect on the guards, their steely golden eyes boring into him as he stood there. “You may schedule a time to meet with him.” The words, so similar to the orders given by Zuko before he’d left the room, left Sokka as the floor opened beneath his feet and the weight of his mistake fell upon him.

“Then, um, then can you pass a message along?” The guardsman's face didn’t shift, his brows remaining lowered and gaze hard. “Can you tell him that Sokka- um,” he ran a hand through his hair, resisting the urge to shift his feet as he grasped for the right words. “Can you tell him that Sokka is really sorry and would like to apologize in person? Please, that’s all. That’s- that’s it, can you tell him?”

Sokka’s aware of the desperation that’s leaking into his voice, in a vague way, and can’t bring himself to tamp it down, not with Zuko so near - he can see him over the guards’ shoulders, back turned and head down in the distance - yet unreachable.

Slowly, the female guard nodded, one hand dropping to nudge the closer guard on the shoulder, motioning for him to go speak to their Fire Lord.

_ Thank Tui and La. _

The man sheathed his sword without once taking his eyes off of Sokka, turning and jogging towards the distant figure only once his companion nudged him again, this time more forcefully than before.

Whatever, intimidation was something he could weather. 

_ He could withstand anything for the Fire Lord. _

Sokka, for once, did not try to smother the thoughtlessly romantic voice that dwelled in the back of his head.

He barely heard the return of the guard, only tuning back in when he spoke, his words tight and clipped, an fierce anger in his eyes that hadn’t been there previously. Oh no, Zuko was turning him away and was too mad at him to look at him, and by extension, this guard was angry and was turning him away -

“The Fire Lord will speak to you.” There was an underlying threat in the man’s voice - one that promised blood and pain if he were to hurt Zuko.

One that wasn’t so  _ underlying. _

Sokka only nodded, quietly thanking the pair of guards as they stepped aside, the woman’s hands finally lowering completely, coming to rest at her side. Neither walked after him, neither looked inclined to follow. 

It was against protocol, he knew enough to be sure that he should be escorted all the way to the Fire Lord, a guard or two meant to stand nearby.

Zuko had ordered them to stay back. That was the only explanation.

He made his way over slowly, grass soft and green beneath him. Occasional scatterings of cherry blossoms blanketed parts of the ground, their trees mingling with other plants - bamboo swaying in the breeze, peonies peeking from the ground.

He could see why Zuko came here, after all that happened during breakfast.

His friend didn’t turn as he approached, instead staring into the pond, turtleducks nowhere to be found. Zuko’s shoulders were set in a hard, tense, line and his head was bowed, hands resting in his lap as he sat, cross legged. 

Sokka hesitated for a second before speaking, not wanting to break the fragile peace that lingered in the air - as if buoyed on the breeze that wound its way through the warm garden. “Fire Lord Zuko, thank you for agreeing to speak with me,” he said, bowing.

“What do you want.” His voice was flat, toneless. Far too carefully controlled.

Zuko still did not turn.

“I would like to apologize; I didn't mean to…” Sokka trailed off; this wasn’t going to work, it was too formal and careful, it was  _ wrong _ -

He took two quick steps forward, sitting down on Zuko’s right and turning towards him, ducking his head in an attempt to see the firebender’s face better. To look into his eyes and show Zuko that he was sorry, and he meant it.

He pretended he didn’t see the flinches, the starts and half steps, that came from the various sentries positioned around the gardens. 

“Zuko, I...I am so, so sorry for what happened at breakfast. I am so sorry for the way that conversation went.” Sokka fiddled with the hem of his shirt as he spoke, unable to contain his anxiety as the silence stretched.

He saw, more than heard, the ruler beside him take a deep breath and let it out, red-clad shoulders rising and falling with it.

“Was it true, then?” A pause, and Sokka almost asked what he meant, then Zuko continued. “What Katara said. What you were prepared to do.  _ Was it true _ ?” The last part was more of a snarl than anything else, Zuko finally straightening and turning towards him, eyes red rimmed and  _ burning _ with fury.

He can’t avoid the question, can’t dance around it or try and divert it. Zuko doesn’t deserve that. Still, honest is sometimes the hardest thing to be.

“Yes,” he says, and it feels damning just to give up that omission. “Yes, we were, but only as a last ditch plan.” Sokka leaned forward, trying to get him to understand, to see the other side of the idea. “We were  _ terrified _ that you were just like your family, we were terrified that it was some sort of ploy to gain control again.”

“Just like my family?” Zuko cuts in as he pauses for a breath, a bitter laugh sounding as he glared, really  _ glared, _ at Sokka.

He understood why some found the new Fire Lord to be scary. It was like staring down a dragon.

“ _ Just like my family _ ?” Zuko’s voice rose, his torso ramrod straight and hands smoking where they now clenched his knees. “Just like my mother, who disappeared when I was eleven years old and was probably  _ killed _ by my father? Just like my sister, who was abused and manipulated until she was practically  _ insane, _ her neck snapped at age fourteen? My cousin, Lu Ten, who died at Ba Sing Se, crushed by earthbenders and forever entombed in rock?”

“I’m sorry, I just -”

“Or did you mean my uncle, who helped me when I had no one, who helped me find the way out of my father’s hatred when I was drowning in it?” Zuko forges ahead, the temperature around them rising. “Or my crew? What about them? Dekku who taught me to make dumplings, and Healer Satomi who changed my bandages, and Lieutenant Jee who helped me bend again? Did you mean them?”

He just fucked up, in a huge way. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Do I?” asked Zuko, teeth bared as Sokka stared back. “Do I know that?”

“No,” he answers with a sigh, shoulders slumping as he realizes how bad he screwed over the conversation. “No, you don’t, and I am truly sorry for implying that your family was entirely -”  _ Evil? Power hungry? The worst people to ever live? _ “...bad.”

“Not everyone in the Fire Nation is evil, Sokka. I thought you knew that.”

“I do. I do, Zuko.” Sokka hesitantly laid a hand on the Fire Lord’s knee, the pads of his fingers resting lightly, ready to retract them as the faintest recoil. “I’m sorry, this is all coming out so wrong…”

Zuko snorted sharply, though he didn’t pull away from him. “Yeah, it is.”

“I just meant that killing you was a worst case scenario plan, we didn’t come here to decide whether or not to kill you,” Sokka said, trying not to fuck up his explanation again. “We needed to be sure that it was safe, that you weren’t playing the long game.”

“And leave my nation leaderless?” 

Sokka winced; it wasn’t something that they’d really considered. In retrospect, they hadn’t considered much besides their suspicions and leftover anger before coming up with the idea. “I’m sorry.”

Zuko shook his head, gold eyes boring into those of blue. “You seem to be apologizing a lot today.”

“I-  _ we _ were in the wrong. I want to make up for what was said, and apologizing is the way to start doing that.” He didn’t know what he’d do if Zuko never forgave him, not completely. To never see the other man laugh with him again, or for his eyes to not light up from whatever stupid joke was said minutes before.

Another deep breath from beside him, though it is Sokka who doesn’t look this time, instead glaring down at the faintly green waters of the pond.

_ Glaring,  _ because he’s mad at himself, and Katara, and the elders who encouraged the plan without ever stopping to look at the change being wrought both inside and outside Fire Nation -

“Well, it’s a good thing you’ll have a while to do that.” Zuko’s voice is soft, though it hasn’t entirely lost its edge. “You’ll still be here for months yet, even with more ambassadors on the way, right?”

“Right. Yes- yes, I will.” Sokka’s response is nearly breathless and immediate, hope blossoming again in his chest.

A pale hand enters his field of view, slowly making its way closer to his face, before the tips of Zuko’s fingers meet his jaw and his face is being gently pulled up and to the side. Giving no choice but to meet the eyes of the leader beside him.

“Sokka.” And the way the firebender says his name, just a soft little push of air, makes him nearly want to cry. “I have not forgiven you completely, not yet, but I am working on it. In the same way you are working on earning it.”

“You’re pretty wise, you know that?” His comment breaks the simmering tension that remained, a smile finally finding its way onto Zuko’s face. 

The Fire Lord turns to face him fully, their crossed legs brushing, and lowers his hand from Sokka’s chin to Sokka’s leg. 

_ He can’t complain about the placement of said hand, though he did wish it was a bit higher. _

_ Damn it, dirty thoughts. You were supposed to go away. _

“Well, I wasn’t always like this,” says Zuko, that faint smile still gracing the edges of his lips. A scroll sits in his lap, half hidden by the folds of his robes, the ribbon that once tied it closed nowhere to be seen. It was loosely rolled - recently read, then. “I get it from my uncle. Who, by the way, is returning to the capital within the month.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all!! I hope you enjoyed!!
> 
> Lemme know what you thought or if I made any mistakes!!! (seriously, it's just embarrassing to be rereading my own writing and realize I put the same word in one sentence 3 times)
> 
> I can't wait for the next bit in this series, I think you'll like it :D
> 
> Stay safe and stay healthy!!

**Author's Note:**

> Zuko, gay and awkward: compliments Sokka
> 
> Sokka: blushes
> 
> Zuko, panic mode engaged: oh no, I did something wrong, oh fuck I fucked up, fuck fuck fuck fuck
> 
> Hope you liked the new chapter!!
> 
> Lemme know what you thought in the comments below; whether you liked a certain part or saw a spelling mistake, I want it hear it!!
> 
> Hope everyone (all the Americans) had a safe fourth of July!! (seriously, someone a block away sounded like they were setting off bombs, not fireworks)
> 
> Stay safe and stay healthy!!


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